Rainbow Republic
The Rainbow Socialist Republic (known simply as the Rainbow Republic) is a small nation located in the Horn of Africa, completely bordered by Somalia. Its capital and largest city is Rainbow City. The territory of Rainbow Republic was purchased by Kenyan millionaire Eca Halane, who began constructing a settlement to be a safe haven for LGBT people from around the world, especially those from countries where queer people are persecuted or heavily discriminated against. After a war with Somalia, the Halane Treaty of 2039 established the Rainbow Republic as an independent territory. Since then, the country has received mass immigration from all around the world, especially from Africa, Europe, and the Arab World. The nation is one of the most diverse countries in terms of linguistic, cultural, sexual, and gender identities. Additionally, the country has some of the most progressive policies protecting LGBT people in the world. History Founding For most of its history, Rainbow Republic has been apart of Somalia, specifically an autonomous region known as Puntland. However, due to its harsh climate, the territory has been sparsely populated for most of its history. Eca Halane, the founder and current president of the Rainbow Republic, was born June 9th, 1995 in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. His father was an ethnic Somali and his mother was Kikuyu His father became a millionaire as a successful businessman and owned a large estate, allowing Halane to live a very privileged life. Halane came out as gay when he was 16 and was accepted by his family, which was a rarity considering being LGBT is highly stigmatized in Somali and Kenyan culture. However, despite his family's status, he was still shunned by most of his community and recieved violent threats. In 2015, Halane left Kenya for the United Kingdom and studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge. In 2020, he began to date Mugisa Baagaya, a Ugandan model who would become his husband five years later. Halane began to conceptualize a "gay city" in 2022. The idea stemmed from the poor condition of queer people in Eastern Africa. Additionally, Halane claims that he wanted to create "a gay family" for his partner who did not have family support like he did. Halane bought a plot of land in Northern Somalia due to its low population and comparatively flat topography. On June 9th, 2024, Halane brought Baagaya to the estate he created as a birthday present. Several of their friends also settled around the estate. Geography The Rainbow Republic is located in the northern desertous region in the Horn of Africa making the environment hot and dry. It rests in the middle of two ranges of the Karkaar mountain range. There are five permanent settlements in the Rainbow Republic. The largest by far is Rainbow City, which lies in the north of the country. There are also three small villages in the southern half of the country, called Beeli Wacatay, Xamure, and Balli Dhiddin. These are rural villages mostly populated by ethnic Somalis that have existed before the establishment of the country. The last settlement is Dorothy, which is an immigrant processing center located in the east. New immigrants come here become settling in the city to prevent homophobic and transphobic terrorism. Infastructure Transportation Most roads in Rainbow City are paved, but there is only a dirt road between Rainbow City and the three villages and Dorothy. However, the subway is the most popular means of transportation in Rainbow City. There is one airport in the Rainbow Republic called, Pride International Airport. Here, there are daily direct flights to Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Djibouti, as well as to other locations around the world. Demographics Language There is no official language of the Rainbow Republic, but the five working languages are English, Somali, Swahili, Standard Arabic, and Amharic. English is a lingua franca is used in government and education. Most citizens have at least a basic grasp of English. Due to its location, Somali is the most widely spoken home language, especially in the outer villages. The next three popular home languages are Amharic and various dialects of Arabic due to high numbers of immigration from Eastern Africa and the Arab World. Around fifty percent of the population speaks one of these five languages as a native language. According to census data, over 200 languages are spoken in the Rainbow Republic. The most popular home languages include Farsi, French, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Malagasy, Malay, Mandarin, Oromo, Russian, Spanish, , Swedish, Tigrinya, Urdu, and Wolof. Most citizens are billingual or trilingual. Religion There is no official language of the Rainbow Republic, and religious freedom is protected in the constitution. Around 40% of citizens do not adhere to any religion. Sunni Islam is the most popular religion, with Chirstianity being a close second. Unitarians are the most popular sect of Christians. Culture Cuisine Cuisine in the Rainbow Republic is mainly influenced by Somali, Arab, and European cuisine. The Rainbow Republic is also known for rainbow-themed food that attracts tourists, including rainbow sushi and snow cones. Holidays The Rainbow Republic enjoys public holidays on secular, Islamic, and Christian holidays. Pride Month is a very joyful time of year where residents have the most days off work